https://www.scmp.com/rss/324135/feed The 2017 Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens is one of the biggest sporting events in Hong Kong and the premier tournament on the World Rugby Sevens Series 2016-17. Taking place at Hong Kong Stadium, it will see the world’s best teams compete for the coveted title. Fiji were champions in 2016. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com So nobody cares, outside of the people who care, and, apparently, that is not too many. The first ever championship by Canada in a World Rugby Sevens Series after 18 years and 140 tournaments actually happened last weekend. They beat the United States in Singapore in the first all-North American sevens final. Still, for many in the sporting world, a Canadian victory over the US in Singapore admittedly doesn’t move the needle. It should, in theory at least, because there was nothing fluky about... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/2089809/moving-needle-rugby-sevens-international-growth-wont-be-easy-even-here-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/2089809/moving-needle-rugby-sevens-international-growth-wont-be-easy-even-here-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Apr 2017 10:37:48 +0000 Among the sea of costumed revellers in the South Stand at every Hong Kong Sevens, it is common to see outfits paying tribute to iconic stars of World Wrestling Entertainment. Whether it’s the yellow and red of Hulk Hogan, the purple of “Macho Man” Randy Savage or the pink leotard formerly donned by Bret “Hit Man” Hart, you can always expect a few wrestling fans. This year, there was an actual former WWE star in the flesh: former champion and current commentator John “Bradshaw” Layfield was... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/2089779/hong-kong-sevens-wrestlemania-rugby-says-awed-wwe-star-jbl?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/2089779/hong-kong-sevens-wrestlemania-rugby-says-awed-wwe-star-jbl?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Apr 2017 03:49:57 +0000 Less than two weeks after skipper Osea Kolinisau lifted the HSBC/Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sevens trophy, his image has been immortalised in a new seven-dollar banknote the Fijian government issued on Thursday to celebrate its rugby sevens team. Kolinisau is depicted running in full flight over the backdrop of a Fijian flag with coach Ben Ryan pictured in what is now his iconic seated position taken from the top of one of the sand dunes the players use to run up during training for big... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2089462/fijis-olympic-and-2016-hong-kong-champions-immortalised-new?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2089462/fijis-olympic-and-2016-hong-kong-champions-immortalised-new?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Apr 2017 00:55:06 +0000 Fiji did as they so often at the Hong Kong Sevens, finding another gear to take out the Cup, while Spain qualified for the World Series. England’s Dan Norton broke the World Series try-scoring record, while the lightning quick Perry Baker scored in every game the USA played. Watch: England’s Dan Norton breaks the try-scoring record Watch: Ruhan Nel wins the semi-final for South Africa in extra time Watch: Kalione Nasoko scores as Fiji win the Cup Watch: Spain seal their spot on the World... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/play-week/article/2087954/watch-highlights-2017-hong-kong-sevens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/play-week/article/2087954/watch-highlights-2017-hong-kong-sevens?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Apr 2017 15:24:39 +0000 The Hong Kong Sevens was for 24 years a standalone, pioneering sevens tournament that cultivated its own prestige and reputation as one of the best sporting events in the world. Other cities tried to mimic what the Hong Kong Rugby Union had nurtured over more than two decades, but none came close to recreating the atmosphere and sense of importance that came with winning in Hong Kong. At the end of the previous century, the Hong Kong Rugby Union (HKRU) joined the new Sevens World Series launched... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/2087906/hong-kong-sevens-danger-losing-its-soul-world-rugbys-cookie-cutter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/2087906/hong-kong-sevens-danger-losing-its-soul-world-rugbys-cookie-cutter?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Apr 2017 04:48:18 +0000 Organisers of the Hong Kong Sevens are determined to crack down on underage drinking at the popular event after teenagers continued to be seen getting alcohol during the three-day event. Incoming HKRU chief executive Robbie McRobbie said he personally reminded vendors of their responsibilities but acknowledged the problem still existed. One person was evicted on Friday and only two on Saturday when binge drinking and partying is at its height. “Obviously we realised there were youngsters who... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2086421/hong-kong-sevens-organisers-vow-clamp-down-underage-drinking-annual?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2086421/hong-kong-sevens-organisers-vow-clamp-down-underage-drinking-annual?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Apr 2017 10:32:43 +0000 More than any other day of the crazy annual rugby blowout, Sevens Saturday shows just how small a place Hong Kong is. Perhaps no other global sporting nirvana sees such casual mingling between players, coaches, celebrities, fans and pundits once they have emptied out of the stadium into the streets to sample the local nightlife. It would likely be a once-in-a-lifetime chance encounter to run into a Rugby World Cup-winning former England star in the streets of London, bar the concourses at... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2086415/24-hour-party-people-ultimate-drinking-challenge-sevens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2086415/24-hour-party-people-ultimate-drinking-challenge-sevens?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Apr 2017 09:48:51 +0000 A brute of a man who took all before him on the rugby field, there was a soft side to Seru Rabeni, who simply wanted to help those less fortunate. When Rabeni passed away suddenly from heart failure last March, he was in the process of raising funds to build a kindergarten in the Fijian village he grew up in. Rabeni, who is survived by his partner Susan Macdonald and their three-year-old daughter Ayami, touched many during a playing career that included two World Cup appearances and a victory at... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/2086367/how-seru-rabeni-legacy-helping-transform-remote-village-fiji?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/2086367/how-seru-rabeni-legacy-helping-transform-remote-village-fiji?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Apr 2017 07:20:33 +0000 This is not going to go down well with all you rugby fans, but the Hong Kong Sevens doesn’t have a lot to do with the city that it’s played in. Yes, given the name and location, that’s a bold thing to say. But take a look at who attended the just-ended competition that Fiji won so decisively, and what went on in and around the stadium and elsewhere during the three days, and the picture is quite clear. The event is largely disconnected from the general population of the place in which it is... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2086296/what-does-hong-kong-sevens-have-do-hongkongers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2086296/what-does-hong-kong-sevens-have-do-hongkongers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Apr 2017 04:08:53 +0000 David Campese used to wonder why the Hong Kong crowd would always boo the Aussies. Now he wonders why they don’t. It appears that one of the greatest traditions of the Hong Kong Sevens – booing Australia – is no longer part of the So Kon Po culture as a new generation of players and fans take over in the professional era. Campese, who led Australia to their last Hong Kong title in 1988, was a particular target of the fans who had a love-hate relationship with his brilliance and arrogance. “It’s... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2086310/hong-kong-crowd-doesnt-boo-aussies-anymore-and-david-campese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2086310/hong-kong-crowd-doesnt-boo-aussies-anymore-and-david-campese?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Apr 2017 03:49:22 +0000 The hallowed turf of Hong Kong Stadium on Sunday was the site of some redemption for Fiji and of the resurrection of their coach as the islanders claimed their 17th Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens crown – and their third in a row – with a 22-0 victory over South Africa. Arriving in town without a tournament victory in this Sevens World Series – almost unthinkable for the faithful who follow the Rio gold medallists with seven legs already played – had seen rumours spread that their magical... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/2086224/three-row-fantastic-fiji-they-blitz-springboks-hong-kong-sevens-cup?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/2086224/three-row-fantastic-fiji-they-blitz-springboks-hong-kong-sevens-cup?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Apr 2017 14:32:25 +0000 Scotland coach Calum MacRae is excited for the future after watching his side beat Kenya 21-19 in the final of the Bowl competition on Sunday at the Hong Kong Stadium. Over the three days at the Hong Kong Stadium, MacRae fielded five youngsters with a grand total of eight caps between them as the Scots continued their sevens rebuilding programme – highlighted by their third place at the Wellington Sevens. “I think with the squad we’ve assembled it’s really a tournament we’ve grown in,” said... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2086222/futures-bright-scotland-after-bowling-over-kenya-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2086222/futures-bright-scotland-after-bowling-over-kenya-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Apr 2017 13:48:04 +0000 New Zealand coach Scott Waldrom is hoping a centralised programme will return the All Black Sevens to the powerhouses they once were. A 10-7 victory over Argentina in the Plate final was little consolation for a side that has played in the past three Cup deciders at the Hong Kong Sevens. It has been a disappointing period for the sevens giants, with a quarter-final exit at the Rio Olympics followed by a below-par effort this season that sees them sitting fourth, 48 points behind leaders South... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/2086221/all-black-sevens-crave-togetherness-hong-kong-sevens-plate-success-does?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/2086221/all-black-sevens-crave-togetherness-hong-kong-sevens-plate-success-does?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Apr 2017 13:26:10 +0000 It was maybe a case of too little and too late for Japan to really help their survival in the HSBC Sevens World Series next season but their 28-21 victory over Wales in the Shield final showed that talent that still simmers in their set-up. That much was acknowledged with a rueful smile by Damian Karauna as the win gave his team four points but still sees them sitting rooted to the bottom of the standings, eight points behind Russia with now just three tournaments left. “To stay in touch with... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/2086211/japan-battle-win-over-wales-claim-shield-it-too-little-too-late-their?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/2086211/japan-battle-win-over-wales-claim-shield-it-too-little-too-late-their?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Apr 2017 13:03:36 +0000 The “Mexicans” from the UK – three aircraft engineers and a resume writer – wrote their own ticket to the most topical outfit of the Sevens with suits like brick walls, proving that with a good idea, anyone can be a Hong Kong Sevens celebrity. Some were sevens virgins, some old hands, but this troupe sitting beside a posse of punks older than Johnny Rotten had the crowd in their palms. Sweltering in their suits that cost £39 on Ebay their armpits were damp, but never their spirits. It was hot,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2086202/another-sevens-wall-curtain-falls-weekend-thrills-and-spills?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2086202/another-sevens-wall-curtain-falls-weekend-thrills-and-spills?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Apr 2017 11:46:56 +0000 There are many ways freedom of the press is abused and World Rugby rubbed the media up the wrong way yesterday, especially the local ones who have supported, promoted and defended the Hong Kong Sevens for decades. An announcement before the finals that the media were not allowed to photograph the winning teams when they lift the various trophies, because it seems the television people have priority, didn’t go down well, especially with the SCMP. We were initially banished from directly in front... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2086177/squeezed-out-our-own-event-world-rugby-bans-media-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2086177/squeezed-out-our-own-event-world-rugby-bans-media-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Apr 2017 09:17:22 +0000 OK, you are a hardcore rugby guy. Sevens is insignificant because 15-a-side is the only game and the Hong Kong Sevens has nothing to do with rugby and everything to do with partying. Great, I got it. But good, bad or indifferent for many of us who did not grow up in a rugby culture, this event has been our first exposure to the sport. Where you take it from there is entirely up to the individual. Just ask local businessman Robert Esser. A self-confessed sports guy, Esser grew up in California... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2086174/how-two-girls-have-made-it-big-thanks-hong-kongs-inclusive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2086174/how-two-girls-have-made-it-big-thanks-hong-kongs-inclusive?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Apr 2017 09:07:56 +0000 Usually we find the SCMP.com commenters to be more enlightened and articulate than some of the mouth-breathers other lesser publications attract. So it was surprising to read some of the borderline racist remarks on our Sevens build-up coverage this week. Apparently the event is nothing more than an excuse for drunken gweilos to move their standard raping and pillaging from Wan Chai to Hong Kong Stadium. As anyone who’s actually been to the event knows, that’s not entirely true. Yes, the South... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2086148/legends-insight-power-sport-change-lives-shows-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2086148/legends-insight-power-sport-change-lives-shows-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Apr 2017 05:15:45 +0000 In Chaos Theory, the “butterfly effect” happens when a small change can result in huge changes later. Far from chaos, for Hong Kong rugby one change made a huge difference – the arrival of a new coach for the Hong Kong teams, Dai Rees, in 2009. These days, Hong Kong has a full-blown “Tafia” as they are known in the city’s rugby circles, paying homage to the name used for Welshman outside of Wales – a “Taff” – a name often used by the military, originating from the River Taff which runs through... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2086144/italy-might-have-mafia-hong-kong-has-tafia-sevens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2086144/italy-might-have-mafia-hong-kong-has-tafia-sevens?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Apr 2017 04:21:33 +0000 Fiji have won their third Hong Kong Sevens title in a row after a sensational display in the final against South Africa. The Olympic champions won 22-0 in a performance packed with their customary flair and power that simply blew the series leading Blitzboks off the park. For Gareth Baber, the former Hong Kong coach now in charge of Fiji, it was the perfect return to his second home – and Fiji's first tournament win of the season. Relive all the action as it happened below  Baber said the win... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2086140/live-hong-kong-sevens-day-three-dont-miss-tackle-weekend-comes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2086140/live-hong-kong-sevens-day-three-dont-miss-tackle-weekend-comes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Apr 2017 03:00:00 +0000 “Which way to Lockhart Road,” a middle-aged Australian man in matching rugby shirt and shorts, who came stumbling out of Hong Kong Stadium on Friday night, asked me as I stood outside the office having a cigarette. The eternal question. I helpfully pointed him on his way, having informed him I actually live on Lockhart Road. My choice of home is routinely mocked by any and all, given its proximity to some of Hong Kong’s highest form of madness, particularly during the Sevens. Even from 14 floors... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2086064/near-misses-and-shattered-glasses-sevens-revellers-descend-wan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2086064/near-misses-and-shattered-glasses-sevens-revellers-descend-wan?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Apr 2017 11:24:38 +0000 Maybe it’s the grown-up equivalent of the swear jar, but for a bunch of school mates from Perth there was a betting jar that got them to the Hong Kong Sevens. It only took six years. “Me and eight mates all put A$20 a week [around HK$120] in a betting syndicate, called “Ca$hmoney,” says 30-year old Mitch Reddell. “We’d bet on horses, the AFL, any sport that was legal. After a while we forgot to bet. And then we realised that the money was growing faster without it.” For satellite engineer... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2086046/unsuccessful-betting-syndicate-gets-aussie-bucks-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2086046/unsuccessful-betting-syndicate-gets-aussie-bucks-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Apr 2017 09:09:38 +0000 World Rugby’s mission to make further inroads into developing markets, particularly the United States, means the 2018 Rugby Sevens World Cup will be held in San Francisco. It also means that the tournament is unlikely to return to Hong Kong, or Asia, for a while. Bill Beaumont, the former England captain and World Rugby chairman, talked enthusiastically about the prospects for rugby’s growth via the Sevens World Cup through markets such as the US, Brazil and Germany. The US had always been... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2086040/san-francisco-host-2018-rugby-world-cup-sevens-long-wait?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2086040/san-francisco-host-2018-rugby-world-cup-sevens-long-wait?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Apr 2017 08:21:35 +0000 The year of 1997 was not only a momentous one for Hong Kong but also Fiji as it forever changed the destiny of the tiny island nation. “A part of Hong Kong is for Fiji, I believe,” Waisale Serevi told the Post, 20 years on from winning the Rugby Sevens World Cup. “It not only holds a special place in my heart but all of the Fijians’ hearts.” Serevi’s inspirational performances at the tournament – scoring 117 points, including nine tries, over the three days – mean he and Fiji will be forever... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2086028/patten-sailed-sunset-stepped-serevi-new-governor-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2086028/patten-sailed-sunset-stepped-serevi-new-governor-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Apr 2017 05:56:26 +0000 “Timing has always been the best element in my life. I have been blessed to have been in the right place at the right time.” So said Buzz Aldrin, the second man to set foot on the moon. Ricky Cheuk Ming-yin, the first local Chinese player to score a try at the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Argentina in 2001, could say the same thing. Although the poster boy for local rugby, now aged 34, has achieved much, being an astronaut is not one of them. However, in a sense his father was an “astronaut”, this... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2086023/hong-kong-rugby-hall-famer-ricky-cheuks-sense-timing-finely?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2086023/hong-kong-rugby-hall-famer-ricky-cheuks-sense-timing-finely?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Apr 2017 05:00:52 +0000 On Christmas Eve in 1953, massive fires swept through the shanty towns of Shek Kip Mei in the heart of Kowloon. Within 10 minutes, more than 50,000 people had lost their homes. Two people died. For months through a brutal Hong Kong winter, people lived in the streets, surviving on handouts and the Red Cross. This precipitated huge change. Temporary resettlement housing became public housing on a large scale. The first residents moved into 100-square-foot flats in 1954. “There are three million... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2086019/how-rugby-has-given-risk-youth-new-life-hong-kong-housing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2086019/how-rugby-has-given-risk-youth-new-life-hong-kong-housing?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Apr 2017 04:03:44 +0000 He helped England to their first ever Hong Kong Sevens victory back in 2002 and now Josh Lewsey is adapting to life in the city. Having moved to Hong Kong to work for EY, the former British & Irish Lion says rugby just keeps on giving as he comes to terms with the ins and outs of a place he describes as having a “lovely blend of sport, business and social”. “I’ve never lived abroad and it takes a bit of getting used to, but I’m really excited by it,” Lewsey said. “When you move by yourself to a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2086016/england-sevens-pioneer-josh-lewsey-taps-rugby-family-he-makes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2086016/england-sevens-pioneer-josh-lewsey-taps-rugby-family-he-makes?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Apr 2017 03:29:17 +0000 Hong Kong suffered another agonising defeat in front of their home fans at the Hong Kong Sevens, while defending champs Fiji survived a scare on day two to move safely into the quarter-finals. Catch up with the action as it happened below and scroll down for more info   HK, playing in the Qualifier tournament to win a place on the World Series, were neck and neck against a powerful German side, 7-7 as the hooter sounded to signal full time. But with the ball still in play, Germany's Bastian... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2086010/live-hong-kong-sevens-day-two-party-under-way?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2086010/live-hong-kong-sevens-day-two-party-under-way?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Apr 2017 02:00:30 +0000 Hong Kong hoteliers and restaurant and bar owners are expecting a significant boost from the weekend Rugby Sevens extravaganza amid the current tourism downturn. The three-day tournament, taking place from Friday to Sunday at the Hong Kong Stadium in Causeway Bay, could have brought more than 10,000 high-spending overseas travellers to the city. They tend to spend four times more than average visitors during their Hong Kong trip. Last year, overseas visitors attending the sevens spent an average... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2085882/hoteliers-restaurant-and-bar-owners-ride-hong-kong-sevens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2085882/hoteliers-restaurant-and-bar-owners-ride-hong-kong-sevens?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Apr 2017 01:02:46 +0000 The look on Dan Norton’s face was a mixture of joy and relief as the Englishman wrote his name into the annals of sevens history on Friday night as he became the game’s all-time try scorer. For the moment at least. The try – at 2.32 of the second half as England swept past South Korea 52-0 – moved Norton to 245, and ahead of Kenya’s Collins Injera (244), who is also here at the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens and, like Norton, is capable of anything on his day. So the battle between the two... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/2085857/english-flier-dan-norton-writes-his-name-sevens-folklore-try-korea-romp?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/2085857/english-flier-dan-norton-writes-his-name-sevens-folklore-try-korea-romp?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Apr 2017 14:07:53 +0000 Like many hallowed “men’s only” clubs – particularly in golf – the Carbine Club allowed women into their pre-sevens lunch yesterday for the first time. It is the lunch everyone hears about but only the select get invited to. They have always stayed under the radar, with “Kai Tak Rules” and no reporting. “Because what happens on tour stays on tour,” as the saying goes. No theme was required for the club named after a horse born in 1885. The name says it all and carries gravitas with corporates... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2085825/women-carbine-club-why-next-youll-see-morris-dancing-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2085825/women-carbine-club-why-next-youll-see-morris-dancing-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Apr 2017 11:44:06 +0000 Mateitoga Bogidraumainadave is Japan’s go-to woman when they need something special, and the Fiji-born bonecrusher duly delivered as her team beat South Africa 22-10 in the final of the HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series qualifier on Friday. The 32-year-old, known by her nickname Laite, played a key role in Japan’s 31-0 semi-final victory over Italy and then in the final against the South Africans at the Hong Kong Stadium – with the victory enabling Japan to return to the World Series after... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/2085824/veteran-laite-aims-more-glory-after-helping-japan-qualify-womens-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/2085824/veteran-laite-aims-more-glory-after-helping-japan-qualify-womens-world?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Apr 2017 11:42:47 +0000 Perhaps there is no greater measure of the man than his humility in defeat 20 years ago at the Rugby Sevens World Cup in Hong Kong. In a team featuring several of his 1995 Rugby World Cup-winning teammates, Joost Van der Westhuizen captained South Africa to the final. They led 14-0 in the first half, but were defeated 24-21 after a Waisale Serevi-inspired comeback from Fiji. Such a blow might leave many feeling bitter. “We were sitting after the final,” Serevi recalled, “and he said, ‘Serevi,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/2085810/fiji-great-waisale-serevi-pays-tribute-south-africas-lionheart-joost-van?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/2085810/fiji-great-waisale-serevi-pays-tribute-south-africas-lionheart-joost-van?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Apr 2017 10:48:06 +0000 Each year before the tournament, a buzz appears on the streets as tourists roll in from all around the globe to watch the best Sevens tournament on the planet. For two tourists last year – friends of former Sevens tournament director Peter Burbidge-King – the dream became something of a nightmare. But in the spirit of rugby, just had to be laughed off. “I asked South African mates Brian Whittingham and his partner, Sue Van Wyk, who live in Perth to join us at the Sevens,” Burbidge-King recounts.... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2085792/when-you-come-hong-kong-sevens-and-spend-weekend-haunts-wan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2085792/when-you-come-hong-kong-sevens-and-spend-weekend-haunts-wan?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Apr 2017 10:07:02 +0000 The beats were pumping as the South African bus pulled into Kings Park before practice on Wednesday. Nothing brash, mind, nor really recognisable to those outside the windows but it set minds to pondering just what music these sevens players use to get them in to mood before practice or game time. Blitzbok captain Philip Snyman revealed the choice of music for his team depended on whose turn it was to be DJ. “There can be whole different vibes depending on the player and the age,” he said. “R.... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2085745/sevens-players-playlist-what-do-teams-listen-they-go-battle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2085745/sevens-players-playlist-what-do-teams-listen-they-go-battle?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Apr 2017 07:16:22 +0000 Madness kicked off the Hong Kong Sevens party in style with a launch concert so raucous the Environmental Protection Department were on the organisers’ case all night regarding the noise level. The legendary British pop band had thousands singing, dancing and cheering at the Sevens Village in Happy Valley opposite Hong Kong Stadium on Thursday night, after From The Jam – featuring original Jam bassist Bruce Foxton – had warmed them up. “We’re not for a second gonna suggest we’re disappointed. We... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/2085719/its-madness-hong-kong-noise-police-refuse-turn-deaf-ear-suggs-and-co-get?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/2085719/its-madness-hong-kong-noise-police-refuse-turn-deaf-ear-suggs-and-co-get?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Apr 2017 05:30:00 +0000 Denial. Anger. Bargaining. Acceptance. These are the four stages of waking up. There’s no way around it. No way to sugarcoat it. The best way to get the best seat at the Sevens is to get there early. (However for a very small and barking mad handful, that does not necessarily mean getting up early.) There are four divergent, discordant groups who unanimously agree to this. They’ve done it year in, year out. And they know all the tricks, such as leaving your South China Morning Post on the back... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2085090/you-snooze-you-lose-how-get-best-sevens-seat-house?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2085090/you-snooze-you-lose-how-get-best-sevens-seat-house?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Apr 2017 04:03:20 +0000 The breathtaking tenacity of Joost van der Westhuizen on the field was matched only by that the World Cup-winning former Springbok and Hong Kong Sevens star displayed in his long fight against the debilitating disease that eventually claimed his life earlier this year. Van der Westhuizen died of motor neurone disease (MND) in February. Apart from being an integral part of the team that made history when South Africa won the 1995 Rugby World Cup, Van der Westhuizen played in the inaugural Rugby... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/2085691/how-late-joost-van-der-westhuizen-turned-springbok-pride?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/2085691/how-late-joost-van-der-westhuizen-turned-springbok-pride?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Apr 2017 03:55:26 +0000 Hong Kong got off to the perfect start on their bid to join the World Sevens Series main event, winning both their opening matches in the Qualifier tournament. In the main event, defending champions Fiji, series leaders South Africa, and in-form England all got off to winning starts. On a day that saw a number of landmarks and records broken, England's Dan Norton became the World Sevens Series all-time top tryscorer with No.245 in their win over South Korea. Hong Kong beat Namibia 22-7 and Sri... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2085680/hong-kong-sevens-day-one-live?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2085680/hong-kong-sevens-day-one-live?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Apr 2017 02:30:30 +0000 RESULTS: DAY 3 KEY: S = World Rugby Sevens Series numbered match; Q = Qualifier competition numbered match; W = Winner of numbered match; L = Loser of numbered match; QF = Quarter-final; SF = Semi-final; Cup 3/4 = Third-place play-off. RESULTS: DAY 2 RESULTS: DAY 1 POOL STANDINGS POOLS KEY: W-won; D-drawn; L-lost; PF-points for; PA-points against; PD-points difference; TF-tries for; TD-tries difference; Pts-competition points (W-3 points, D-2 points, L-1 point). https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2082798/hong-kong-sevens-2017-fixtures-results?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2082798/hong-kong-sevens-2017-fixtures-results?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Apr 2017 01:00:30 +0000 Every fan knows the feeling – sitting in the stands at Hong Kong Stadium and wondering exactly what just happened. Sevens is that quick, it’s easy to miss a try or a penalty and it’s hard to keep up with the ever-changing rules. Player safety is forever a hot topic in rugby and the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series puts a premium on protecting its participants while ensuring the game remains as entertaining as possible. As the series rolls into Hong Kong, there are a number of new rules set to be... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2085012/idiots-guide-years-rule-changes-hong-kong-sevens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2085012/idiots-guide-years-rule-changes-hong-kong-sevens?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Apr 2017 01:00:29 +0000 New Zealander Nick Smith converted a last-gasp drop kick as UBB Gavekal pipped 2016 champions Penguin International 10-7 to win the 32nd GFI HKFC 10s at Hong Kong Football Club on Thursday. UBB captain Aorangi Stokes was named Player of the Tournament, while Australia Sevens teenager Josh Coward – representing the Classic Wallabies – was the top try scorer with six. UBB were seeded a lowly 11th after finishing in the bottom eight of the 16-team tournament in their first two appearances, but this... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2085515/fiji-kiwi-and-hk-stars-power-ubb-gavekal-hkfc-tens-glory?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2085515/fiji-kiwi-and-hk-stars-power-ubb-gavekal-hkfc-tens-glory?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Apr 2017 14:07:26 +0000 Hong Kong’s late heroics turned into heartbreak as they were bundled out of the World Women’s Sevens Series Qualifier at So Kon Po on Thursday. Victory over a previously rampant Belgium in their last pool game had seen coach Anna Richards and her support crew crowded around a stat sheet trying to work out the permutations, with hopes lifted that the locals might have snuck through to the quarter-finals with that 15-10 win. The last hope was that Hong Kong had finished as the second-best... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2085493/heartbreak-hong-kong-womens-team-sevens-series-qualifier?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2085493/heartbreak-hong-kong-womens-team-sevens-series-qualifier?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Apr 2017 12:49:25 +0000 Hong Kong is a long way from the sleepy New Zealand town of Cambridge – literally and figuratively – but for Ben Rimene and Lee Jones, life in the two places has plenty of similarities. The pair grew up down the road from each other in Cambridge and played school and club rugby together in New Zealand before eventually going into battle for Hong Kong alongside each other. They lived together at university in Hamilton and are still housemates in Hong Kong, with Friday marking the beginning of yet... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2085021/how-hong-kong-teammates-ben-rimene-and-lee-jones-cut-path-nz?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2085021/how-hong-kong-teammates-ben-rimene-and-lee-jones-cut-path-nz?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Apr 2017 07:00:28 +0000 “It’s the hope that kills you,” goes the cliche about the pain of supporting sports teams. Unless you’re on a perennial winner’s bandwagon, each new season brings fresh belief that “this could be our year” – despite ample evidence to the contrary. Hong Kong rugby fans know it well. Since the World Series qualifying tournament was introduced in 2012, we’ve dared to dream that the city’s sevens side could win a place as one of the ‘core’ teams who travel the world playing every tournament on the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/2084653/its-hope-kills-us-so-heres-why-we-say-home-team-has-no-chance-hong-kong-sevens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/2084653/its-hope-kills-us-so-heres-why-we-say-home-team-has-no-chance-hong-kong-sevens?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Apr 2017 05:10:12 +0000 The tricky issue of drinking during the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens can be a disorientating (and oftentimes dangerous) challenge even for the most battle-hardened boozers. Friday is a “late” start after an early dart from the office – how quick should you go when you arrive at the ground? All out, or keep your powder dry for a painfully early kick-off on Saturday? It is Friday night after all. Saturday brings a whole raft of unique strategic conundrums of its own. You’ve managed the early rise... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/2085364/sozzled-sevens-lost-art-safely-enjoying-boozy-hong-kong-rugby-sevens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/2085364/sozzled-sevens-lost-art-safely-enjoying-boozy-hong-kong-rugby-sevens?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Apr 2017 05:07:26 +0000 While he admits he is prone to the odd moment of frustration, new Hong Kong boss Paul John says his coaching style is far removed from the dictator-like approach he once took in the classroom. Eager to throw himself into the pressure cooker that is the Hong Kong Sevens, the ex-Wales coach credits his father Dennis and 14 years as a teacher for moulding him into the coach he is today. “I suppose you learn to adapt your coaching and differentiate your coaching as a result of being a teacher,” he... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2085015/dictatorial-teacher-sevens-guru-new-hong-kong-coach-paul-john?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2085015/dictatorial-teacher-sevens-guru-new-hong-kong-coach-paul-john?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Apr 2017 03:03:35 +0000 Suggestions the standard of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series is down in the wake of the Olympics are news to England coach Simon Amor as his in-form side prepare to slug it out in Hong Kong this weekend. The likes of former Fiji coach Ben Ryan have said the Series is suffering an Olympic hangover and Amor admits some sides have hit the reset button, but is confident Hong Kong fans will not be short-changed. “When you look at the finals and look at the top teams that have got consistent squads,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2085313/some-best-sevens-there-has-been-englands-simon-amor-dismisses?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2085313/some-best-sevens-there-has-been-englands-simon-amor-dismisses?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Apr 2017 01:26:32 +0000 Fiji and New Zealand are pretty much used to having it their way at the Hong Kong Sevens. The two sides, who played out last year’s final with Fiji winning 21-7, have won the tournament 27 times between them in its 40-year history, including the last six titles. But their days of dominance may be over, according to Fiji legend Waisale Serevi. “If you ask anyone in the world, any coaches, they will say it is an open tournament,” Serevi told the South China Morning Post. “Not like before when it... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2084636/years-hong-kong-sevens-set-be-most-open-years-says-fiji-legend?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2084636/years-hong-kong-sevens-set-be-most-open-years-says-fiji-legend?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Apr 2017 01:00:15 +0000 Four contracted Fiji Sevens players helped UBB Gavekal stun second seeds Mourant Ozannes Samurai International 14-5 and ultimately top pool B. UBB are seeded 11th after finishing in the bottom eight of the 16-team tournament in their first two appearances, but this year’s squad are boosted by the addition of Fijian playmaker Lemeki Tulele and fellow backs Josua Vici, Samu Bale and Glen Cakautini. Captain Aorangi Stokes – playing in the Tens for the first time – was full of praise for the Fijian... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2085139/fijian-sevens-stars-sparkle-ubb-gavekal-victory-over-favoured?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2085139/fijian-sevens-stars-sparkle-ubb-gavekal-victory-over-favoured?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Apr 2017 13:15:30 +0000